


Advice

by PoeticMoonSpirit



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang being oblivious as usual, Dense Zuko, F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sokka giving Katara advice, Toph being an asshole, lord what even is this lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24069106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoeticMoonSpirit/pseuds/PoeticMoonSpirit
Summary: Katara has a crush on Zuko so she goes to Suki and Sokka for advice.
Relationships: Jet/Zuko (implied), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 123





	Advice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ZutaraWasRobbed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZutaraWasRobbed/gifts).



> This is for one of my best friends ZutaraWasRobbed! Love you girl! <3

Katara was frustrated.

The whole situation was bugging her to the fucking core. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the firebender out of her head. It had been awhile since she had forgiven him. They had been sparring almost every day. For whatever reason, she had always felt better after sparring with the scarred boy. He wasn't brutal like Toph, nor did he hold back like Aang always did. No, he believed she was better than most benders, which is why he always teased her before and after their sparring matches. It got him riled up.

And for some odd reason, she was incredibly turned on by this. _It probably had a lot to do with the fact that he always sparred while he was shirtless_ , she thought.

She tried to snap out of it, but he was so fucking gorgeous. Though she would never admit this out loud, he was intriguing to her. Like a moth to a flame, she was mesmerized by his grace while he went through his bending forms. Surprisingly, Zuko was graceful for a firebender.

"My uncle studied waterbenders when he was a bit younger," he told her once. She had been curious about his stance when he practiced his lightning bending forms. It drew her towards him even more. She didn't think it was possible, but here she was.

After everyone retreated into their tents for the night, she laid on her sleeping mat, wondering when she developed feelings for the firebender. Maybe it was during Ba Sing Se, she pondered. Even then, she had sensed a change in him. Her perspective on the scarred boy had changed drastically. It was like she was speaking to the other half of her.

These thoughts had been plaguing her for months now. She had decided to finally tell him how she felt. She was terrified, but knew she had to get these feelings off her chest, or they would eat her alive.

* * *

Katara approached the only person she felt knew how to navigate these strange waters known as feelings. It was early morning and Katara fidgeted, wondering if the girl would help her. After all, she was dating her brother.

"So, you want advice on how to confess to your...crush?" Suki arched an eyebrow.

Katara pulled on her hair and looked away. She bit her lip and sighed. Turning back to her friend, she said, "Yeah. I feel like this is pretty big, you know? We've been getting along pretty well for a while."

Suki snorted. "You both are practically married. I see the way he looks at you. It's like you're the only person he sees."

Katara choked on her water. "I'm sorry, what?! He doesn't look at me like that!"

Suki gave her a knowing look. "I may not know him that well, but the guy cares a hell of a lot for you. I mean, you saw how hard he tried to gain your trust back. He didn't have to try that hard."

Katara stubbornly thought about what she said. Zuko had been adamant about regaining her trust after Ba Sing Se. But she had just chalked it up to him trying to ease his guilt. Maybe...maybe there was something more?

_Could there be something more?_

The red head patted her shoulder in assurance. "Hey, I know it's a lot to take in, but I think you should take the chance. You never know, he may just be the one."

* * *

**Step 1: Assert your body language.**

Katara tried to put some extra pep in her step. This mostly meant that she was trying to swing her hips more, hopefully gaining his attention somehow. Suki, however, found this hilarious.

Snickering, Suki said, "Katara, if you're trying to gain his attention, you're better off being a bird."

Katara abruptly turned around, glaring at the red head. Remembering that she was the one helping her with this, she turned back around and huffed, hoping something good came out of this and that she didn't look as stupid as she thought.

Zuko glanced at Katara and grinned. "Hey, I made breakfast," he ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "I figured you needed a break from cooking so much."

She felt the temptation to kiss him, but that would break "Step 2" and she's pretty sure Suki would kill her. She muttered a 'thanks' to him and turned a corner to the girls' room and screamed into her pillow.

* * *

**Step 2: Do nice things for him**

Katara tried placing her hands on her hips, while tilting her head in a seducing manner. She had been practicing in front of the mirror for a while now.

She walked towards the kitchen area where Zuko was making dinner. She remembered what Suki had said to her about giving Zuko small hints that she was interested in him. It couldn’t be that hard right? Zuko wasn’t _that_ dense, was he?

He was.

As soon as Zuko saw her, his eyes froze, his gaze on Katara's smooth stomach. He quickly cleared his throat and turned his head, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"So, what's up? You've been cooking every day and I know that isn't really your thing. Is it alright if I help?"

Zuko looked at her, confused. "But I thought you'd want a break from doing this all the time? Maybe I could step back for a bit—"

"No!" Katara said, a bit too loudly. Zuko's unscarred eyebrow rose in surprise. Katara smiled sheepishly. "Sorry! I just! Meant! That I could help you slice some veggies or something. You seem pretty...lonely."

Suki, who happened to be behind the corner watching Katara's progress and slapped a palm to her face. They are both so stupid!

* * *

Goddamn it, Katara was _done_! She wasn't sure what she was doing anymore, but whatever it was wasn't working.

She would go to Toph, but the blind girl would just tease her or tell her to throw rocks at him. Haru was...well, _Haru_ and she was pretty sure he liked her. That would be awkward, she surmised. Aang would probably throw a fit if he knew she was crushing on someone other than him, so that option was definitely out of the question.

This only left one, terrifying option. Katara shuddered.

* * *

"Hey, Sokka. I need your help."

Sokka looked up from his map and narrowed his eyes at his sister. He probably thought she was trying to prank him. Probably. Katara rarely _ever_ asked for help, and when she did, it was in a life or death situation.

"I swear if you bend a wave at me for taking the last slice of bread at breakfast—"

Katara rolled her eyes. "I could honestly care less about how much food you ate, considering I baked that bread _for you_."

Sokka pretended to shed a tear at his sister's words. "You're the best sister a guy could have."

She elbowed him in his stomach. "Ow! Okay, okay! You're the best sister period!"

Katara smirked in victory. "Thought so."

Sokka pouted and rubbed his stomach. "So, what do you want anyway? I've got a map to decipher here, so I don’t have all day!”

This is where things were about to get...weird. Talking to her older brother about her feelings for a certain guy wasn’t exactly high on her list for "Best Moments Ever." But she knew that Sokka had good instincts and his plans usually never failed.

Usually.

So, Katara decided to wing it, thinking of the consequences later.

* * *

She fidgeted with her hands. "Well, there's this guy—"

Sokka suddenly choked. "A—A what?!"

Katara huffed, crossing her arms under her chest. "Honestly Sokka, I thought you'd be mature about this. I'm almost fifteen for La's sake!"

"I don't care if you're thirty! No one's dating my sister!"

Silence. After a few beats later, he sat up, rubbing his chin the way he does when he's suspicious of something.

"Is it...is it Haru?"

 _God, no_. Haru was nice and she really enjoyed talking to him and stuff, but she never caught feelings for him. What she felt for him was strictly platonic.

"Nope."

Sokka pinched his nose in frustration. "Please don't tell me you're in love with a twelve-year-old monk who shouts "Flameo Hotman!" wherever we go. Because I will literally—"

Okay, that was just weird. Aang was like the little brother she never had. Like everyone else, she was aware of the airbender and his feelings for her, but it was simply one-sided.

"Ugh, no. Are you seriously trying to annoy me?"

Sokka grinned. "I don't really have to try, do I? And anyways, that was a relief to hear. I think I stopped breathing for a minute." Sokka rubbed his elbow in nervousness. "So... guess that only leaves one other person, huh?"

Katara was unable to meet his gaze and found a sudden interest in her feet.

"Look, I still don't think anyone will ever be good for you, but…" he scratched his head a bit, "If anyone were to be with you, I'd prefer that guy."

Katara looked at him in utter shock. Hearing this from him of all people meant a lot to her. A lot more than she let on.

"I think," Sokka started, "that he's a good guy. I mean, yeah, we got off to a rough start. Him chasing us all over the world and whatnot. But he was, you know, _hurting_. His own dad burned half his face off and sent him to chase after Aang, just so he could return home. Underneath all that anger, he's just a kid like the rest of us.

"And... this is gonna absolutely _kill_ me to say, but the way he looks at you? That's how I look at Suki. It's as if you're his whole world. And that look is relieving and terrifying at the same time because it means that I can't protect you from everything, not even ... _that_."

Katara embraced him in a tight hug, releasing hot tears as she did so. She loved her annoying brother so much that sometimes, it hurt. He returned the gesture and they stood there, just being there for one another.

"So," Sokka said as he let go, "how do you wanna play this?"

Katara wiped a tear from her face as she gave him a watery smile. "I dunno, you're the one I came to. So, you're in charge."

Sokka rubbed his hands together, mischievously. "Let's do it!"

* * *

"Okay! So, the first thing you gotta do? Think like a man."

Katara was not impressed. "I'm sorry, what?"

He pointed at her and sat down on a nearby log. "You heard me. If you want him to notice your feelings, then you've gotta think like him. What does he like? What gets his attention the most?"

Hmm. Katara thought about the sparring matches they often had. _But that's...we always do that_ , she thought. Maybe she would just go to his room one day and spill her heart out? Seemed a bit dramatic for her taste, but what else could she do?

"You know what? I have a great idea! Now, I know you're gonna have the urge to strangle me when I say this but hear me out! How about you just sneak into his room and put on his clothes?!"

Katara sputtered. "What?? Are you insane? _That's_ the best idea you've got? I'd be better off going to Toph for advice!"

Sokka looked a bit disappointed. "It's gotta work! What guy wouldn't want to see a girl in his clothes?!"

"Eww, gross!"

Katara was _not_ doing this.

* * *

So, Katara was doing this. And she would probably regret it later.

She snuck into Zuko's room while he was training Aang. She crept by his dresser and pulled out his red and gold tunic and matching trousers and crept back out, thinking she hadn't been caught.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Katara jumped, and looked at an amused Toph.

Toph held her hands up, suddenly about to laugh. "Look, whatever you were doing in his room has nothing to do with me. I just think it's so funny that you both are completely oblivious to each other's feelings."

_Both?_

"Toph, you're crazy. There's no way he likes me. And I don't like him, okay?"

Katara heard her voice crack at the end of her sentence and winced. Toph caught it and smirked. "Oh, please. Both of your heartbeats increase every time you're around each other," she wiggled her feet in front of her. Katara grimaced at the dirt that caked her feet. "The feet never lie!"

"Whatever. I'm going to my room." Katara said, hurrying to get away from the walking lie detector.

* * *

As Zuko sat down after serving the gang dinner, he saw a figure dressed in red emerge from the halls where everyone slept.

He almost choked on his steamed rice.

There stood Katara, clad in his red and gold tunic, with his matching pants. _So that's where the missing pair went_ , he thought amusingly. Though she was struggling keeping the trousers pulled up, she still managed to look beautiful. This briefly reminded him of when he hooked up with Jet in Ba Sing Se. He distinctly remembered a certain wild-haired boy wearing his Earth Kingdom clothes just right after—

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. Just as he looked up to say something to her, her pants fell to her ankles and suddenly, he wasn't breathing.

* * *

Katara was seriously going to murder her brother. She was going to make sure he never sees the light of day again. Maybe she’d kill him and then bury his body somewhere back in the South Pole, where no one would be the wiser.

She hurriedly pulled the pants up and sprinted to her room, tears in her eyes.

She just exposed her clothed groin to everyone! And on top of that, she probably scared Zuko too!

She had never been so humiliated in her life.

* * *

"Okay, what the hell just happened?!" Haru asked, eyes still wide open.

Toph couldn't stop laughing. "Oh my god, I can't breathe! This is too much! Oh man, I'm gonna pee my pants!"

Aang felt bad for Katara but was more confused than anything. "Wait, but why was she wearing his clothes? Maybe she ran out of stuff to wear…"

Toph laughed even harder, while Suki looked at the earthbender, irritatingly. The Kyoshi Warrior hoped her waterbending friend would be okay.

* * *

Katara sat on her bed, dressed back into her usual attire, when she heard a knock on the door.

She wiped her face, trying to get rid of any evidence that she had been crying. "Come in."

Zuko came in, shutting the door after himself. He regarded her appearance and took in her facial expression. She was really upset.

He cleared his throat. "So... are you... alright?"

Katara looked at him in shock. "You're not mad at me? I thought you'd be, considering I sort of stole your clothes."

He let out a chuckle before sitting down next to her. "I know you're pretty upset, but I'm not. I guess I was amused, but confused. Why'd you do that?"

Katara shrugged. She might as well tell him. "I was sort of... trying to get your attention...using Sokka's advice?" It came out more like a question, but Zuko didn't understand.

"Uh, Katara you could've just talked to me. Am I really that scary?"

Katara hurried to assure him that no that is not what it was at all. "No, no! I just… I can't exactly say, 'Hey, Zuko I really like you!' I think I'd die."

Realizing that she just said it, she turned beet red. Zuko looked at her with wide eyes. "You—You like me?"

Katara snorted. "Took you long enough to realize. Though this isn’t how I wanted you to find out. I guess this is what I get for going to Sokka for advice. Should’ve stuck with Suki.”

Zuko laughed. Not a chuckle, but a genuine laugh that stirred something in Katara’s chest. “And all this time I thought you were just having a bad day or something. But you wanna know something?”

Katara shook herself out of her reverie. She looked at him. “What?”

He scooted a bit closer to her so that they were shoulder to shoulder. He faced her and tilted her chin a bit and looked into her eyes, searching for something unknown to Katara.

“I like you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Man, what the hell did I write lmao the ending was...lame. Oh well, hope you like it :3


End file.
